An Open Letter to my Republican and Christian Friends:

As I watch this election progress, and see the support that is growing for Donald Trump, I shake my head in wonder.  Not so much because I am a reformed Republican, and now Democrat, ( that is a completely different conversation) but because it simply astounds me that there are people I know and respect that have said they will vote for him.  

What I can’t figure out, is how so many people can simply do away with their principles, and support a person who stands for EVERYTHING they are against; a man who is the most un-christian, and un-republican candidate, and a man who has no principles nor values what-so-ever.

As a Republican, what does Donald Trump stand for?  The most I can figure out, is that he stands for nothing really; with the exception of making money.   He has changed his positions on EVERYTHING, and not just over a period of time, but sometimes over a matter of hours.  

I can go down a list of Republican Doctrine, and point out where Donald Trump has had the opposite position last year, yesterday, or an hour ago. The list is simply too long.
But I can say with certainty, that he doesn’t support the two major pillars of Conservatism - fidelity to the Constitution and commitment to reduce the size of a bloated government.

My main quandary, though, is regarding my Christian friends.  I have a hard time believing that you, whom I have known and respected for years, can simply set aside everything you base your life on; everything you believe in; every tenant you tout; everything you have taught to your children; to support an individual who is an admitted philanderer, a proven liar, (over and over again), a spreader of lies, a cheat, a man who lacks compassion, a man who is vain, and a man who is vulgar. These are just a few of the undisputable FACTS about Donald Trump.  I know you have seen very clear examples of every egregious fault I have listed.  

So as a Christian, I ask you, how can you support such an individual?  How can you so easily brush all of your integrity aside and get behind this type of individual?  A couple of possible answers:

You won't ever vote for a Democrat. Or maybe you would, just not the one on this ticket. I get that. Or you simply hate Hillary and think all of the detestable attributes of Donald, are encapsulated in Hillary as well.  I get that too actually.  

You must agree that there is a reason Paul Ryan is not endorsing Trump.  He has integrity.  I may not agree with him on policy, but at least he stands solidly for the Republican Platform and has integrity.  He has a sense of principle and a sense of reason. I respect him for that.  I respect that he holds onto his principles and doesn’t just wash them away because the crowd so easily does. I would be surprised and disappointed if Paul Ryan acquiesced and came out in support of Trump.

Ask yourself, will you have those same standards as Paul Ryan, or will you throw those aside? If you do throw your integrity out the window, as  you go to mark that ballot for Trump, how can you not just throw-up in your mouth?......Especially when you have an alternative……

Yes! There is a way out that you don’t have to compromise your character, nor your integrity....  Two options actually….. You can simply sit this one out and not vote.  I know for many of you, that doesn’t seem like an option, but for 8 years, I refused to even register to vote, in protest. (that too is another conversation altogether) Or you can vote for someone who does live up to your standards.  That may sound surprising to you, but there is a very reasonable, and attractive candidate team out there that you may not have yet heard of, but you will.

It is likely that two formerly die-hard Republicans, Gary Johnson of New Mexico and Bill Weld of Massachusetts, both of them popular ex-state governors, will get the Libertarian party’s nomination. I won’t go on and  tout their attributes, as that is for you to study and decide. But I can only hope that you won’t sell your soul, abolish your life’s work of integrity and principle, and mark that ballot for Trump. I like you too much to risk losing all respect for you.